James Franco Leading ‘11/22/63,’ Hulu’s New Stephen King Time Travel Drama

James Franco, time travel, the Kennedy assassination, Stephen King, and Hulu. No, you’re not having an aneurysm, but rather getting details of Hulu’s new 9-part miniseries, based on Stephen King novel 11/22/63. Find out what brings James Franco to a Dallas book depository with our full report!

The Interview star Franco will lead the cast of Hulu’s new event series, which follows an English teacher sent back in time to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. 11/22/63 also marks Franco’s first formal TV role since Judd Apatow‘s iconic NBC Freaks and Geeks.

So reads a formal synopsis for 11/22/63:

Jacob “Jake” Epping is a divorced high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, whose friend Al shows Jake a time portal located in the back of his diner’s pantry, which leads to September 9, 1958, at 11:58 a.m. Al has learned that it is possible to change history; however, an apparent “reset” on any subsequent trip to 1958 nullifies the change, unless it is made again.

After discovering he could change history, Al became obsessed with preventing the assassination of John F. Kennedy, assuming this would lead to a better world without the Vietnam War or the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.. Al was forced to abort his plan in 1962 after developing terminal lung cancer due to his lifelong habit of smoking. He pleads with Jake to carry out his mission for him.

Hulu will adapt the 2011 novel as a nine-hour event series produced by J.J. Abrams and writer-producer Bridget Carpenter, and likely to cover the full span of King’s novel. Subsequent seasons remain a possibility, as with the CBS adaptation of Under the Dome, though any future series would likely tackle a different historical event (and likely necessitate a new title, as well).

It all sounds reasonably crazy enough to work, but will 11/22/63 turn out more Under the Dome, or provide the breakout drama hit Hulu’s been looking for?